Reservations

After expressing initial reservations, a group representing county governments in Pennsylvania is now supporting a county-level impact fee proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett.

A nonprofit, nonpartisan group that represents all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties says it supports a local impact fee on natural gas development in the state but has “strong reservations” about counties being ultimately responsible for its levying and administration.

Although there were reservations that the deal may be too sweet for the utility, California regulators Thursday set aside an administrative law judge’s proposed decision and approved a contested settlement giving Pacific Gas and Electric Co. a $213 million general rate increase for 2007 with provisions for $125 million annual boosts in the subsequent three-year period (2008-2010). The settlement was called “satisfactory, not great,” by Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Two major consumer groups refused to buy into the deal.

The California Public Utilities Commission Thursday unanimously approved — although not without reservations — a final cost allocation for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s natural gas service charges that will be used in establishing future gas throughput forecasts. The bottom line impact is a 1.2%/therm residential rate increase and decreases for small business (1%) and for large industrial customers, both core (5%) and transportation (22.7%), according to the lead CPUC commissioner on the case, Geoffrey Brown.

If elected president, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, would make a natural gas pipeline from Alaska a priority, but would limit lower 48 gas development on federal lands and offshore to areas that are currently open.

If elected president, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, would make a natural gas pipeline from Alaska a priority, but would limit lower 48 gas development on federal lands and offshore to areas that are currently open.

Consolidated Edison’s reservations about a merger with Northeast Utilities (NU) seem a bit clearer now following NU’s latest financial report of a 29% drop in first quarter earnings. The New England combination utility company’s results came in well short of Wall Street expectations. After non-recurring charges, NU earnings were $53.2 million, or $0.36 per share, compared with $74.6 million, or $0.55 per share, for the same period in 2000.

Consolidated Edison’s reservations about a merger with Northeast Utilities (NU) seem a bit clearer now following NU’s latest financial report of a 29% drop in first quarter earnings. The New England combination utility company’s results came in well short of Wall Street expectations. After non-recurring charges, NU earnings were $53.2 million, or $0.36 per share, compared with $74.6 million, or $0.55 per share, for the same period in 2000.

Despite severe reservations from powerful marketers, such asEnron and Shell Energy Services, SB 601 was introduced to thePennsylvania legislature last week, moving residential and smallcommercial gas customers one step closer to gas supply choice. Thenext step for the bill, which supporters said was the result of aworking collaborative of marketers, LDCs, and the PennsylvaniaPublic Utilities Commission (PUC), will come March 23, when theSenate Consumer Protection committee will hold a hearing on thebill.